


a little night out

by afrocurl



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drinking, Gen, Karaoke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 20:16:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/969861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of the first Kaiju attack and after a few others, the PPDC decided to put together a colloquium for pilots to build camaraderie. The final part of that colloquium: a night of karaoke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a little night out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [majorangecat](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=majorangecat).



> This started as a silly comment to **majorangecat** on Twitter and devolved from there.

It took several years before everyone finally agreed that such a unilateral effort was necessary. There were too many factors at stake just after San Francisco, even if PPDC made the suggestion for teams to agree to. 

Because meeting in one location meant that everyone left all of their defenses down, but enough of the higher ups had assumed that so soon after an attack there would be time to prepare for the next. Or so they thought.

It had been an order only two years after that first attack for everyone to meet. It had been an order that if not followed would mean the end of a pilot’s status in PPDC, even though the time it took to train another pilot was seven months on the low end.

Most of the pilots and support teams felt awkward and annoyed that they were forced into bonding exercises, but just as the end of the two weeks loomed on the horizon, the mood lightened. It was as if the time had not been a total waste, for the Wei triplets were talking to the Kaidanovskys as well as the Hansens.

The Becket brothers had been more interested in talking to Tendo Choi and Mako Mori than in serious conversations with the other pilots. 

Everyone seemed to think that their time together was over - for months and probably years - but after so many trust exercises and discussions about missions and compatibility, everyone was ready to let losse and ignore duty.

Marshall Pentecost had suggested one final farewell party, complete with a trip to Hong Kong’s finest karaoke bars.

“Do we really have to do this?” the younger Hansen asked, even though he still tagged along with the scores of pilots.

“Yes,” the Marshal said, “it’s the last time you’re likely to see most of these men and women. Let your hair down, son.”

There was a muffled reply just as everyone made their way into the karaoke bar and towards the waiting bartenders.

Drinks flowed for forty-five minutes before anyone worked up the nerve to face the machines, and just as Yancy walked up, the room broke out in raucous whoops and hollers.

“We might as well get this started on a good note,” he said before he let the bass line of the song start.

“ _Like the legend of the phoenix  
All ends with beginnings  
What keeps the planet spinning  
The force of love beginning_.”

Everyone knew the song, of course. It had been the hit of 2013, just before and after San Francisco. Yancy kept singing and just as the chorus set in, he started to wink at some of the female pilots, being a horrible flirt as he went. 

No one, thus far, had taken anything Yancy or Raleigh had said to heart, but the song was a reminder that there could have been (and might be) something between any of the unattached pilots.

His dance moves were horrible, but for the start of the night, no one said anything as they were still settling into their drinks and the ambience. 

As soon as the song was over, everyone settled back for another round of drinks and waited. Tendo and Mako tried, unsuccessfully, to get Pentecost to sing something. His only response was, “This is meant for all of you, and not me. Have a good time. It might be the last time we’re all this happy together.”

Tendo nodded and went back to his drink just as Mako grabbed Raleigh and dragged him to the stage. She had a song picked out before the younger Becket had a chance to say anything, but when the first few notes came through, the entire room waited before Raleigh started to sing.

“ _Is this the real life?  
Is this just fantasy?  
Caught in a landslide,  
No escape from reality._”

The room was silent, only listening to Raleigh’s voice as he crooned before Mako joined in later.

Together they sang:

“ _I see a little silhouetto of a man,  
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?  
Thunderbolt and lightning,  
Very, very frightening me.  
(Galileo) Galileo.  
(Galileo) Galileo,  
Galileo Figaro  
Magnifico._”

After that, it was all up to Raleigh to finish the song, though the room started to hum and mime along with him.

It was easier when all of “Bohemian Rhapsody” finished for everyone else to start and sing.

Tendo, after five drinks, got up and belted out “Call Me Maybe”, though everyone asked why he chose that song.

All the reply he gave was, “It has sentimental value.”

It must have because he tried to sing it another three times before Chuck finally worked up the nerve to sing.

No one quite knew what to make of him singing “Fight For Your Right”, but he had such conviction as he belted it out that no one said anything about what that might mean about his relationship with his father.

No one wanted to ask about that in the long run.

Just after that, and just as the night was winding down, Herc finally got out of his booth and went to sing.

As he selected his song, Pentecost spoke. “Last song, everyone. Herc, this better be a good one.”

Herc merely nodded and let the music start before he let out a low voice, far different from his normal speaking voice and began.

“ _Where it began,  
I can't begin to knowin'  
But then I know it's growing strong_

_Was in the spring  
And spring became the summer  
Who'd have believed you'd come along._”

The whole room was waiting for Herc to finish the last verse before the chorus. 

In between beats between those final words, Herc said, “I expect everyone to join in.”

Taking an order from the oldest of the pilots as it was intended, the room sang along with him.

“ _Sweet Caroline_  
Good times never seemed so good  
I've been inclined  
To believe they never would  
But now I...”

A few of the younger pilots and staff were confused when half the room made louder “BA BA BAA”s after Sweet Caroline, but soon picked up on the tenor of the song’s appeal and followed the next time.

The last round of the chorus rang through the room and soon after the music settled, everyone started to settle their tabs, have a few glasses of water for good measure and leave.

A few of them started to hum the last words of “Sweet Caroline” as they walked out and headed back to the Shatterdome.

Soon enough they would all head back to their respective homes and likely never see anyone again.

By morning, there were more than a few hungover pilots and at least two of the Wei triplets had a mouthful of Max’s drool to wipe away.

No one said anything negative about the night, though. There had been too much enjoyment from everyone for that.

But, it had been a useful exercise to have them all together. Pentecost seemed pleased with the end result, if his pace around the Shatterdome the next morning said anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by **ninemoons42** , though any remaining mistakes are mine.


End file.
